Pontiac G8 GXP, Cadillac CTS-V, and anything Lexus has ever made with 400hp all qualify as the most reliable 400+hp sedans.
Can you talk about the E92s a bit more? I've always loved the engine in those things. And, having had an E90 328xi, I know I like the basic platform/interior/etc. True, but it gets close to the spirit of what I want, though it's definitely sporty > comfort. Civic = FWD. Non starter. 4 doors (limited exception for 5 doors) is also requirement. I would consider the Subaru. I'm leery of Mitsubishi, though - I wonder how much longer they'll be in this market.
Focus RS is a brand-new car, though. So there is no data on reliability. Then again, you will have a warranty.
I've had my e92 M3 for a year now, and haven't had single issue with it yet. around 25k on the odo. I've been doing simple maintenance such as oil every 7500 miles, tranny drain and fill etc. I think the biggest scare with S54 motors are rod bearings causing an expensive repair. This car is my daily driver and very it is easy to commute with.
I think Ford has been building quality stuff in recent years. (Queue someone pointing out case of widespread Ford quality failures.) Someone mentioned the Golf R - cool car, but it's < 300 HP. Maybe you can hop it up, but I don't really want to do that. I'm making an exception for the RS because it's close on requirements and it's cool as hell.
They are super popular among my circle of friends. Almost everyone has had one at some point. 2 of them recently went supercharged, both with over 100k miles on them. They did do the rod bearings pro-actively along with the superchargers (my current E39 has also had them done, sensing a theme here.....). There really isn't anything that goes wrong on them. Consumables cost more, but you can negate a big chunk of that if you DIY and source your components on the web. I've heard the throttle actuators are becoming a problem, but I have never personally known anyone who had a problem with them. Typical M car though, I think they are best owned by enthusiasts that stay up on the services. I tell everyone this though. If you are the type of person that drives around with a CEL on for months at a time without doing something about it, then they aren't really meant for you. Ideally, you want to do everything ahead of time so the light never comes on, or if it does, jump on that code immediately as it will frequently trigger a ton more codes downstream and it's harder to identify the real issue. The S65 is a gem of an engine though. It's based on the V10 but seems a ton more robust in the real world. It's a little fluffy on the low end, the fun is all up high in the rev range. But it's a very satisfying car to drive and a TON more connected than a regular 3 series. 2 other people I know got the new M4 and went back to the E90 series within six months if that tells you anything. As far as longevity, I really don't think you could kill one. Highest miles I've seen were around 180,000 and it looked and drove like new, plus the guy was still tracking it 5-10 times a year.
At this point in my life the only reason I even care to own a car with 3 pedals is to do smoking ass burnouts. My F30 335 has the new 8 speed auto and it is the titties! Shifts faster than I ever could manually.
Nobody cares about how fast something shifts when its still a boring ass automatic unless your a drag racer at the 1/4mile.
You mean like a Formula 1 car or a World Endurance Championship car or a new Ferrari or a new Porsche?
DCT's aren't slush boxes. I'll take one please. I like manuals but sometimes we do come up with something better.
Don't know about that. I would need to double check but I believe automatics account for around 30% of car sales in France, for instance.
We LOVE manual shifting so much that we would never put a quickshifter or an auto blipper on a motorcycle!
And I'll take a stab in the dark and guess that 95% of cars/ light duty trucks sold here are automatics.
Well maybe not econo cars in Europe. But Porsche basically only makes manuals because Americans want them. At least that's what they told me!
In the 911, yeap. Audi doesn't offer the R8 in manual because the euros didn't buy them because the DSG shifted faster. Ferrari, pretty much the same. and not just econo cars but most cars in europe are manual. Better gas mileage and with diesel as expensive as it is there, it pays. Gasoline is even more expensive. South America also seem to prefer manuals.